Saturday, July 19, 2014

Best Affordable Condenser Mic Under $100

I have owned 3 of the most popular and affordable condenser microphones on the market right now. Of these 3 condenser microphones, I wanted to provide a quick review of each.

AKG Perception 120

Rating: 9/10

My experience with the AKG Perception 120:

Reliable - I owned the perception 100 for about 6 years. It only broke recently after I dropped it.

Affordable - Cost is between $80-$100 depending on where you purchase it.

Great sound - I feel this mic captures the vocals and instruments very well. Audio is warm and rich with virtually no white noise.

MXL 990

Rating: 6/10

My experience with the MXL 990

Quality of sound was not consistent for me. This mic captures high and soft frequencies very well, and I consider it a decent mic for recording vocals as well as softer instruments such as acoustic guitar and ukulele. However, I felt that this mic did not capture lower and louder frequencies very well for me, as they seemed muffled.

Samson Gtrack with built in interface

Rating: 7.5/10

My experience with the Samson G Track:

Very Affordable - This mic includes a built in interface, so it's a great value if you don't already have an interface. If you do have an interface already, you will want to look at a different model by Samson.

Reliable - I owned the Samson G Track for about a year with no problems.

Pretty good sound - I have had some great luck recording with this mic. Vocals and instruments sound rich and warm through this mic. However, my main complaint with this mic is that it has a very small amount of white noise, even in quiet rooms. The white noise is very minute, yet it is still noticeable. Granted, I don't have a fully sound-proof room, but most people looking for a budget condenser mic don't have soundproof rooms either. That being said, this is still a quality mic for the money, and some of my best recordings have come out of this mic.